BrisketTown’s Brisket, One of Our 100 Favorite Dishes

September 10, 2013

We did not grow up in barbecue country, and so while we can certainly get behind slowly smoked meats, we pledge no regional ‘cue-style allegiance, and we have no real conviction in arguments over pit-craft, dry rubs, or whether sauce belongs in the equation. But we will say that we finally understood why people obsess over Texas-style brisket when we first tried Daniel Delaney’s version at BrisketTown. Fork tender, enveloped in a charred crust, and thick with soft, rich fat, this brisket is so infused with smoke, it tastes like your clothes smell after you’ve been sitting downwind from a campfire. Served with a slice of white bread and, if you choose, a seasonal side or two, it’ll make your throat burn–and you’ll definitely go back for more. And as for that sauce versus no sauce debate, BrisketTown serves sauce in squeeze bottles–but we usually polish off our meal before we remember that accoutrement. Bonus: You can get BrisketTown’s brisket at Smokeline on the Highline, which is a pleasant way to have weekday lunch now that tourist season has wound down and the kids are back in school.

Later this year, we’ll pen our Best of New York issue, our annual love letter to what’s great in this town. When that paper hits the streets, you’ll find our picks for the very best this city has to offer when it comes to dozens of cuisines, restaurants, dishes, and drinks. Until then, you can get a taste of our contenders as we count down, in no particular order, our 100 favorite dishes from around the boroughs, a list of laudable eats worth tracking down right now.

‘The World Trade Center was conceived by vested interests, promoted by pressure groups, brought into being by a handful of powerful men for reasons of monetary gain or personal pressure, and indirectly subsidized by the taxpayer’